United Reformed Church of Sunnyside

Frequently Asked Questions

Many in the Yakima Valley are probably unfamiliar with the Reformed Church tradition: “does this mean you’re liberal, or that you’re changing something?” There may be others who have come across aspects of it but mistakenly reduce its meaning to simply “5 points.” And still others may express the sentiments that the Reformed are extinct, that they were a bunch of power-hungry Christians who delighted in punishing heretics and holding witch-trials.

If you are to understand, appreciate, and even become Reformed, it’s best to go directly to the source. You see, the group of churches that has been called “Reformed” has existed since the 16th century, and they still go by this name throughout the world. They have been distinguished by a set of doctrinal standards that give a full-orbed view of the teaching of Scripture and the Christian life. These documents function like the American Constitution, “constituting” particular churches as Reformed, giving them their distinct existence and identity.

The first thing to understand is that, at the time of the Reformation (16th century), the Reformed were not starting something new but were recovering what was old. They were called “Reformed,” because they sought to reform the Western Church according to Scripture and were ejected for doing so. Manmade, extra-biblical traditions like “seven sacraments” were pared back to the biblical practice of the Ancient Church. Other aspects of worship were also recovered, like congregational singing and delivering sermons and prayers in the language of the people. But it wasn’t all change; at the heart of Reformed churches are the Ancient Creeds, which express Scripture’s teaching concerning the Trinity and the Person of Christ: the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Definition of Chalcedon, and the Athanasian Creed.

In the face of persecution and confusion, these churches received confessions and catechisms to educate their congregations and to demonstrate to their oppressors that they were simply following the teaching of Scripture. On mainland Europe, these documents were the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), and the Canons of Dort (1618-19). In the United Kingdom, Reformed churches were called “Presbyterian” and confessed the Westminster Standards.

By summarizing the teaching of Holy Scripture, the truths in these documents structure the worship of the URC of Sunnyside and the lives of its members. By faith, we have received grace in the Gospel, Christ has obeyed the law and borne its curse on our behalf. Therefore, we respond in gratitude, striving to worship and obey our risen King.

As Christians, the truths of the Bible are very important, both to God and to us. As Christians who are also Reformed, we believe that these truths are faithfully reflected in particular creeds and confessions.

The word “creed” comes from the Latin credo and simply means “I believe,” a concept that Christians can hardly question. Our response to the gospel is one of faith (belief), since the gospel consists of promises from God to us. Creeds are written in such a manner that the Christian may take them upon their lips and “confess with their mouths” those things they believe in their hearts (Romans 10:9).

The truth is: every Christian, every church, has a creed. Even “no creed but Christ” or “no creed but the Bible” are, ironically, creeds! So the question is NOT “should we have creeds and confessions?” but “WHICH creeds and confessions should we use?” As a Reformed congregation, we confess the historic, biblical truths of the Protestant Reformation as contained in the "Three Forms of Unity," i.e., the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), and the Canons of Dort (1618-19). We also confess three important creeds that the Christian church has confessed for nearly two millenia, namely the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

First of all, these documents give us unity in the teachings of God's Word. We’re not united around one man’s “views” or several “schools of thought.” Furthermore, these documents also protect us from being "carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). Far from usurping the absolute priority and authority of the Word of God, our confessions serve to boost and highlight this priority, directing our wandering minds and hearts back to the Scriptures and its infallible teachings all of our days.

We take great joy in what we believe as Christians who are Reformed in our confession, and we invite you to share in this joy with us!

Though many Christians cannot imagine the Christian life without denominations, an increasing number see them as things of the past. This latter group frequently views them as culturally-driven communities: “This church is dressier, that church is filled with societal elites, that church is for blue-collared folks, etc.” Therefore, why be a part of a denomination? Why not “just be a Christian”?

It’s important to recognize that divisions are not new but are the sad result of human sinfulness. Due to sin, men rejected Moses and caused division within Israel (Num. 16). After King Solomon, the kingdom split into two. God, then, judged the Northern Kingdom for developing new doctrines and practices. There were also various schools of interpretation at the time of Jesus, e.g., the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots. The earliest generations of the new covenant Church was fractured, as well. In the 6th century, many Western, Latin-speakers acted unilaterally to change an ecumenical creed. This appalled many of the Eastern, Greek-speakers and exacerbated divisions that were already taking place. This division was formalized in 1054. During the 16th century, the Protestants (Anglicans, Lutherans, and Reformed/Presbyterians) sought to reform the Western Church according to Scripture, which was a return to the practice of the Ancient Church, and they were kicked out of communion with the Pope. The minute we take a position on any doctrine – even if we say that a doctrine is unimportant! - we have either aligned ourselves with a church tradition or splintered the Church further by creating a new one. Claiming to be “non-denominational” doesn’t avoid this reality.

So, why are we part of a denomination? Well, we have interpreted the Bible and consciously reflected upon the various doctrinal traditions. In the end, we have concluded that the Reformed tradition is the most biblical, though we do not claim it’s the only biblical tradition. We have also concluded that the Church should manifest its spiritual oneness in a visible manner. We can’t talk about unity without acting in unity. Being independent of other churches and ordained leaders causes further division; it even gives occasion for sin since there is little to no accountability. Just like the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), our leaders gather to deliberate on doctrinal and moral controversies (cf. Prov. 11:14). This helps keep our sinful disposition in line and provides a later of protection from the abuse of power. Our denominational unity also serves as a step toward seeing Christ’s entire Church united, as we are actively seeking union with other like-minded churches and pray that this will continue in years to come.

Most of us have done it – we’ve gotten on church websites or consulted friends to try to figure out how a church expects us to dress. What does the URC of Sunnyside think?

The first thing to emphasize is that we do not impress God by what we wear. (Sadly, what’s inside of us doesn’t impress Him either, but that’s a different topic.) We can show up in a five-piece suit and be no more acceptable to God than a person dressed in jeans or shorts. Scripture does not provide us with a dress-code, and so Christians have freedom where Scripture does not speak. Neither formality nor informality is a virtue in and of itself.

This does not, however, mean that the way we dress is unimportant. We Americans live in a culture where we separate the body from the soul, what is physical from the immaterial. But the Scriptures teach that, though the body and soul are distinct, they are intimately related to one another. Your body affects your soul, and vice versa. Therefore, the way you prepare your body for worship has an effect upon the way you internalize God’s word.

Carry this “virtue of informality” to its logical conclusion. The most informal you can possibly be is to roll out of bed and attend church in your pajamas. I think it’s a safe assumption that anything we do in our pajamas is associated with lounging and relaxation. Wearing that to church means you’re unlikely to be fully-engaged. Church is not about relaxation and lounging but receiving from and responding to a holy God.

Does this mean we all need to wear suits and dresses to church? Absolutely not. What this means is that we need to consider how we can best prepare our bodies in order to prepare our minds and souls to receive the gospel. For some, this might mean dressing up a little or a lot. For others, who dress up all week for work, this could mean taking a rest and wearing jeans or shorts (this is the Lord’s Day, a day of rest, after all.). But for everyone, the way we dress falls into the category of wisdom. Though we all would love to have black-and-white rules, we must exercise discernment and keep our focus on our great calling and joy, receiving Christ in the preached word and in the sacraments and responding to Him with confession, prayer, and praise. The way we prepare and use our bodies should serve this great end.

As anyone that’s been a parent knows, it’s hard work and a great responsibility. There’s even an increased responsibility for Christian parents to raise their children in the fear and discipline of the Lord, with the goal that, by God’s grace, they will profess the faith with their own mouths. Every Christian parent desires this, and so do we at the URC of Sunnyside. The question becomes, “How shall we nurture children in the Christian faith?” Scripture informs our answer in two key ways: first, by the nature of God’s covenant, and, second, by the nature of Sunday worship.

The Lord is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He even distinguishes His people from the rest of the world by means of covenant. He first established a formal covenant with Abraham and his household, which set them apart from all other peoples (Genesis 12, 15 & 17). After the Passover, He turned the Abrahamic-covenant-people into a nation-state, called Israel. This, too, was accomplished by way of covenant (Exodus 19-24; Deuteronomy). On the day of Pentecost, after the ascension of Jesus, the new covenant was inaugurated. Once again, God distinguished His people from the world by means of covenant.

The reason this informs our view of children is that God has always incorporated the children of believers into His covenant people. Although young children are unable to express personal faith, God graciously includes them. Throughout the Old Testament, under the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, God promised believers and their children, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Under the new covenant, we see the same household principle expressed, as the Apostles and other ministers baptized households when parents professed faith. At Pentecost, Peter told his Jewish audience that forgiveness and the promised Spirit are “for you and for your children” (Acts 2:38-39). Therefore, the children of believers are members of the covenant; they are members of the church.

Participating in a church service is the primary way this covenant membership is exercised. It’s also the primary way by which Jesus feeds your child’s soul and brings him or her to a mature profession of faith. Our children are church members prior to their own faith, but theymust make profession of faith later, when they develop the maturity to do so. Hearing preaching is God’s primary way of bringing your child to faith, and participating in the rest of the service nurtures that faith as children are taught to sing and pray as members of the church.

But we also recognize that many parents and children are not ready for this step, so we also provide childcare for young children and would encourage parents to take their children out when they become disruptive. We hope that, over time, all of our covenant children can be introduced to the worship of God’s covenant people and participate insofar as their maturity allows.